Lodging · Glacier National Park
A no-frills stay near Lake McDonald Lodge.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tourRecorded for this place
Lake McDonald Lodge“Lake McDonald Lodge is coming up, and it’s worth a stop for the building and shoreline even if you’re not staying here. Step into the lobby to see the huge log columns and stone fireplace, then walk down toward the lake.”
Plays as you drive up to Motel Lake McDonald in the Parkwolf Glacier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Guide
Motel Lake McDonald is a seasonal, no-frills lodging property about 10 miles inside Glacier’s west entrance on Going-to-the-Sun Road. It makes sense if you want a room inside the park and plan to spend your time out exploring the west side. The motel is a separate property from the historic Lake McDonald Lodge nearby. The lake is close, but don’t count on every room having a lake view.
The property has two two-story, 1950s-style buildings. Each room has a private bathroom and a fan, but there’s no air conditioning. Upper-floor rooms are reached by stairs, and the bathrooms are often described as compact. This is a basic place to sleep, not a polished resort stay.
The motel itself isn’t the place to plan a meal. The nearby Lake McDonald Lodge has separate dining options, including a grill and pizzeria, plus a campstore. Treat those as Lodge facilities, rather than motel amenities.
Wildlife
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingSperry Glacier Trail18.4 mi · 11 hr · 0.1 mi awayA long climb to high lakes, a cable-assisted pass, and glacier ice.
ChallengingSperry Chalet Trail12.6 mi · 9.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA steep, rocky climb to the stone chalet above Lake McDonald
ChallengingMount Brown Lookout Trail10.4 mi · 8.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA 4,300-foot climb ends at a historic lookout above Lake McDonald.
ModerateFish Lake Trail5.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA small lily-pad lake, earned with a steady 1,000-foot climb.
EasyAvalanche Trail5.6 mi · 3 hr · 0.2 mi awayA shaded forest crossing between Lake McDonald and Avalanche Creek.
ModerateSnyder Lakes Trail8.6 mi · 5.5 hr · 0.2 mi awayA forest climb opens onto talus, meadows, and Lower Snyder Lake.
EasyJohns Lake Loop Trail2.6 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA shady loop reaches a small lake, cascades, and a forest creek.
EasyUpper McDonald Creek Trail5.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA gentle creek walk to two cascades and a quiet forest finish.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayLake McDonald LodgeA lakeside landmark for boat trips, meals, and its timbered lobby.
Scenic pullout · 0.6 mi awayNorth Lake McDonald ViewA lakeshore pause where Howe Ridge's fire history comes into view.
Campground · 1 mi awaySprague Creek CampgroundLake McDonald camping beneath cottonwoods, with some open shore views.Picnic area · 1 mi awaySprague Creek Picnic AreaA Lake McDonald picnic stop off the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayMcDonald FallsA quick, accessible overlook above McDonald Creek’s blue-green rapids.
Sight · 1.9 mi awaySacred Dancing CascadeA quick stop for clear water spilling over layered creek rock.
Sight · 3 mi awayMcDonald Creek OverlookA close look at Glacier's longest creek system.
Lodging · 4.2 mi awaySperry ChaletA historic hike-in chalet with meals and resident mountain goats.Parkwolf’s Glacier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
